Successive Governments have identified certain sections of the society who are in dire need of intervention to ensure social inclusion. Such sections of the society have been classified as Scheduled Tribes (STs) Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), De-Notified Tribes (DNTs), Nomadic Tribes (NTs), Semi-Nomadic Tribes (SNTs) Safai Karmacharis (SKs), Religious Minorities, Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Senior Citizens, Destitutes, Transgender, Women and Children.

India is a welfare State with constitutional mandate and democratic obligations to ensure social inclusion of all its citizens with special focus on the vulnerable, disadvantaged and weaker, sections of the society them at par with the rest of the society as part of social inclusion and inclusive development is the commitment of successive Governments to the people of the country.

• The Constitution of India guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens irrespective of caste creed, gender or religion, along with clear direction to ensure welfare of backward communities.
• Directive Principles of State Policy enables to protect and promote their wellbeing.
• Considering the needs of weaker sections successive Government have taken several measures by adopting underprivileged friendly policies and programs.
• Wherever policies and programs failed to yield expected outcomes, legislations were brought in, so that equal opportunities are provided for the weaker sections and ensure benefits.
• Experience of six decades of planning revealed that the process of development and modernization has gradually benefited all but not to the extent other dominant communities benefited.
• Various indicators show that there has been gradual improvement in the socio-economic status of SCs and STs over the years.

Interventions for education:

• Key scholarship and fellowship programs to enhance enrolment, reduce the dropout at different levels of education, secure professional qualifications and ensure employability and self-sustenance.
• Residential Schools are established for tribal students to reduce dropouts and provide quality education.
• Some states also provide residential education for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, PWDs, Minorities and Girls.
• The Union Government has also given funds to States for construction and maintenance of Hostels for Boys and Girls from weaker sections.
• Support is provided for students clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC, SSC etc to increase the representation of minorities in Civil Services.

Interventions for Economic Development:

• Subsidized credit facilities are advanced to ensyre economic development of the weaker sections.
• The aim is to ensure that their target groups are uplifted at par with the rest of the society by giving a thrust to the development programmes relevant for infrastructure and economic development of SCs, STs and Minorities.
• Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Credit Guarantee Fund for SCs, Standup India and MUDRA schemes encourages entrepreneurs from these groups.
• There are special programs like Central Assistance to SC & ST Sub plans, Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana for SCs, Pradhan Mantri Kalyan Yojana and Prime Minister’s 15 Point for Minorities, Grants under Article 275 (1) for STs.
• The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers provides one time cash assistance and other skill training programs and also handholding support.
• Grants-in-Aid is given to States for the development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in a comprehensive manner, while retaining their culture and heritage.
• Nai Manzil aims to engage constructively with the poor Minority youth and help them to obtain sustainable and gainful employment.
• Upgrading Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for development (USTTAD) aims at conserving traditional arts/crafts of our country and for building capacity of traditional artisans and craftsmen belonging to minority communities.

Interventions for Social Empowerment:

• Machinery for enforcement of Protection of Civil Rights Act 1995 and Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 has been strengthened.
• Various legislations for welfare of Aged, prohibition of manual scavenging, protection of rights of disabled, etc have been passed
• The ICDS scheme for children and women provides supplementary nutrition, non-formal pre-school education, nutrition and health education, immunization, health check-up and referral services.
• The POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) strives to reduce the level of stunting, under nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight in children and also focuses on adolescent girls, pregnant woman and lactating mothers.
• The National Creche Scheme provides day care facilities to children of working mothers and other eligible women.
• The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme prevents gender biased sex selective elimination, ensuring survival, protection, education and participation of the girl child.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) provides partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentives for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• The Scheme for Adolescent Girls improves their nutritional and health status and upgrades their skills; provide motivation to out of school girls to go back to formal schooling or vocational / skill training.
• Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women provides leadership training and skill development, so that they are emboldened to move out of the confines of their homes and community and assume a leadership role in accessing services.
• The Swadhar Greh aims to target women victims of difficult circumstances who are in need of institutional support for rehabilitation so that they could lead their life with dignity.
• Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP) provide skills that gives employability to women, competencies and skills that enable women to become self-employed/entrepreneurs.
• Ujjawala is for prevention of Trafficking and Rescue, Rehabilitation, Re-integration and Repatriation of victims of Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Exploitation.
• Home for Widows namely Krishna Kutir has been constructed to provide widows with a safe and secure place of stay, nutritious food, health service and legal and counseling services.
• Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) is implemented for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities through education, training and other allied activities.
• Scheme for implementation of Persons with Disability Act 2016 (SIPDA), supports activities relating to Accessible India campaign and implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act.
• The Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, provides Physical Aids and Assisted living devices for the aged suffering from Age Related Disabilities/infirmities belonging to BPI Category.
• National Social Assistance program provides social security benefits to aged, disabled and women in crisis.
• The scheme of Hamari Dharohar for conservation and protection of culture and heritage of Minorities preserves the rich heritage of minority communities of India under the overall concept of Indian culture.
• There is also a scheme for containing population decline of small minority community like Parsis (Jio-Parsi) to arrest the declining trends in population of small minority communities.

Political Representation and Reservation in Employment:

• The Constitution of India, mandates for earmarking of seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• Most of the States provide reservation for backward communities and women in Urban Local Bodies and Rural Local Bodies so that the interest and welfare of backward communities are taken care of. There is also mandate for providing reservation in employment and admission in educational institutions for SCs, STs, OBCs and now Economically Backward Communities.

Other institutional mechanisms:

• Social inclusion is a constitutional mandate and a national priority. To protect the rights and ensure safeguards institutional mechanisms are built, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes National Commission for OBCs are constitutional bodies.
• There are statutory bodies like the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis, the National Commission for De-Notified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes, the National Commission for Women, the National Commission for Minorities, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and National Human Rights Commission which ensure rights are protected and welfare is taken care of.
• Rehabilitation Council is an apex statutory body to enforce uniform standards in the country in training of professional in the field of rehabilitation of the disabled persons.
• The Indian Sign Language, Research and Training Centre provides professional training course with a, view to develop trained manpower in the disability sector and is providing various other rehabilitation services. Centre for Disability Sports encourages the PWDs to pursue sports.
• Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) a statutory body functions as the nodal agency for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in country and inter country adoptions and also deals with adoption of orphans, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated recognized adoption agencies.
• Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) has initiated several programmes for the welfare and development of women and children.
• Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs act as a link between the police and the community and facilitate women in distress.